Past Event

Steamboat Springs  The energetic piano runs and riffs of Michael Kaeshammer will warm the Yampa Valley on Friday night. That alone might be reason enough to step out of the cold with Strings Music Festival’s holiday concert and do something special with the family.

And special describes Kaeshammer. Described often as boogie woogie, the German-born, 35-year-old Canadian artist is deft at that old blues piano style but talented enough to pretty much do whatever he wants on the keys.

He’ll engage the audience, said Cristin Frey, marketing director for Strings. He’ll play standing up and while walking around. When he was here in 2010, he danced with the older ladies in the audience, Frey said.

Expect to clap along and tap your feet.

Tickets for the concert are $48 for adults, and Strings is doing juniors tickets for anyone 18 or younger for $25.

Strings wanted this to be a concert the whole family could go to, Frey said.

“It’s something special for the holidays,” she said, adding that it gives locals a reason to get out and celebrate and do something different — maybe even putting on those “nice” clothes that languish underused in closets across Steamboat.

There are two things that make a good concert, Frey said. One is the actual music, and the other is the energy and charisma.

“His charisma alone gets you engaged,” she said. “You really feel the energy in the room.”

The concert is at 7 p.m. Friday at Strings Music Pavilion. Tickets are general admission and can be purchased online at www.stringsmusicfestival.com or by calling the box office at 970-879-5056, ext. 105.